Sarah Monette on The Problem of Susan

Having read Sarah Monette's wonderful analysis of "The Problem of Susan" in Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman and, by extension, The Chronicles of Narnia, I'm now far clearer on just what it is about The Last Battle that I dislike quite so much. Not the apocalypic imagery, not Lewis' rejection of the physical world as nothing more than the drudge of a term at school, but rather, the implicit implications of Susan Pevensie's rejection.

For it is not merely the case the case that Susan has been rejected from admission to paradise for frankly pathetic reasons. Rather, she has had her life destroyed by the accident which, let us not forget, has killed every other member of her family. Not for her a life of nylons and party invitations and romances; but rather one of identifying bodies, executing wills and dealing with the trauma of being suddenly alone in the world. None of which would seem to be justified on the grounds of desert.